West Point candidate served in Poplar Bluff | News

POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS)- Nationwide, only 85 National
Guard candidates make it into the military academy at West Point.

One of those candidates
grew up in Missouri and served in a Poplar Bluff Guard unit.

Specialist Drake Mann, of
West Plains starts classes at the academy in July.

Mann joined the guard in
2008, and was assigned to the 205th military police battalion out of Poplar
Bluff.

A first sergeant with the
Poplar Bluff battalion talks about Mann.

"When I first met
him, I thought he was a good candidate for officer's candidate's school,"
said Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Ladyman. "I sent him to a future's leader's conference,
and they determined he meets the criteria for West Point.  That's when we tried to submit an
application, and he was accepted.

Last year, West Point
accepted only three cadets from the Missouri National Guard.

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